Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) Shares Purchased by Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC

Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC raised its stake in Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) by 50.6% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 82,110 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock after acquiring an additional 27,581 shares during the quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC’s holdings in Becton, Dickinson and Company were worth $18,808,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other large investors also recently bought and sold shares of the stock. New England Research & Management Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $354,000. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 30.0% in the first quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC now owns 3,947 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $904,000 after buying an additional 911 shares in the last quarter. Stanley Laman Group Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company in the first quarter valued at approximately $283,000. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 2.3% in the first quarter. NorthCrest Asset Manangement LLC now owns 8,997 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $2,061,000 after buying an additional 203 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Baker Chad R increased its position in shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company by 37.7% in the first quarter. Baker Chad R now owns 5,420 shares of the medical instruments supplier’s stock valued at $1,242,000 after buying an additional 1,485 shares in the last quarter. 86.97% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Stock Down 0.0%

Becton, Dickinson and Company stock opened at $168.58 on Friday. Becton, Dickinson and Company has a twelve month low of $163.33 and a twelve month high of $251.99. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $179.58 and a two-hundred day moving average of $211.20. The company has a current ratio of 1.13, a quick ratio of 0.64 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $48.32 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 32.17, a PEG ratio of 1.27 and a beta of 0.25.

Becton, Dickinson and Company (NYSE:BDX) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, May 1st. The medical instruments supplier reported $3.35 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.28 by $0.07. The business had revenue of $5.27 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $5.35 billion. Becton, Dickinson and Company had a return on equity of 15.99% and a net margin of 7.28%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 4.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the firm earned $3.17 EPS. As a group, research analysts expect that Becton, Dickinson and Company will post 14.43 earnings per share for the current year.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, June 30th. Stockholders of record on Monday, June 9th will be given a $1.04 dividend. This represents a $4.16 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.47%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, June 9th. Becton, Dickinson and Company’s dividend payout ratio is currently 79.39%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts have recently commented on BDX shares. Stifel Nicolaus cut their price objective on Becton, Dickinson and Company from $280.00 to $224.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Raymond James Financial cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from an “outperform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Bank of America cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $190.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Thursday, May 1st. The Goldman Sachs Group cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from a “buy” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $192.00 price target for the company. in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Finally, Piper Sandler cut Becton, Dickinson and Company from an “overweight” rating to a “neutral” rating and dropped their price target for the stock from $260.00 to $185.00 in a research report on Friday, May 2nd. Eight analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating and four have issued a buy rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Becton, Dickinson and Company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $219.22.

Insider Activity

In related news, EVP Michael David Garrison sold 479 shares of Becton, Dickinson and Company stock in a transaction on Wednesday, April 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $197.28, for a total value of $94,497.12. Following the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,887 shares in the company, valued at approximately $964,107.36. This trade represents a 8.93% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP David Shan sold 1,166 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, June 2nd. The stock was sold at an average price of $171.19, for a total value of $199,607.54. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president now owns 4,575 shares in the company, valued at approximately $783,194.25. This trade represents a 20.31% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale can be found here. Company insiders own 0.36% of the company’s stock.

Becton, Dickinson and Company Profile

Becton, Dickinson and Company develops, manufactures, and sells medical supplies, devices, laboratory equipment, and diagnostic products for healthcare institutions, physicians, life science researchers, clinical laboratories, pharmaceutical industry, and the general public worldwide. The company operates in three segments: BD Medical, BD Life Sciences, and BD Interventional.